| parts | | type | Technical Summary |
|---|
| value | This project responds to Topic 3: Management of Forest Ecosystems, Key Science Opportunities for identifying and evaluating adaptive management approaches for silvicultural forestry treatments (e.g. fuels reduction, tree harvesting), and restoration prescriptions which retain and promote more drought-tolerant fire adapted species or ecotypes (forest types) of value to tribal/rural communities, which can reduce mortality risks caused from climate disturbance stressors such as drought, wildfire and pests/ diseases. One goal of this project is to identify and evaluate the current conditions of forests in the western Klamath mountains and northern California coast range, focusing on mixed conifer hardwood, Oregon white oak/prairie, and coastal redwood forest habitat types regarding the susceptibility to climate related disturbances. The second goal is to evaluate the risk factors associated such disturbances to the ecotypes, the various forest habitats in the study region inclusive of tribal interests. The research methodological approach is to first identify the forest types (habitats) and species (resources) of interest to resource managers and tribes and the relevant climate disturbances (EcoAdapt/US Forest Service in progress; Lake et al. current NWCASC FY2018 project). The next step is to detail the agents or factors of vulnerability to those forest habitats based on vegetation species composition building upon the current work of EcoAdapt and the US Forest Service (Lake and tribes have been reviewers of and contributors to project) and related assessments. Broader landscape remote sensing or climate data will be used to classify the potential degree of risks to forests at a coarse scale, followed by characterizing which vegetation species (e.g. trees, shrubs, understory plants) are most vulnerable currently. The third step is an evaluation of the current condition or resilience of forests, understanding the climate threats and stressors that contribute to vulnerability of forests and local communities. To understand how Indigenous/ Traditional knowledge and tribal values can be integrated into landscape restoration prescriptions, we will draw upon currently publicly available information (e.g. Western Klamath Restoration Partnership Somes Bar Project prescriptions, Yurok Traditional Land Management Plan). These prescriptions demonstrate how the alignment of diverse socio-cultural, ecological and economic interest are reflected in fuels reduction, forestry/silviculture, and prescribed burn treatments. This innovative approach has been recognized as an important example for the nation (e.g. WKRP National Cohesive Strategy and USFS R5 landscape demonstration project, Yurok Tribe’s Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary restoration initiative). Lastly, the science synthesis and data collection methods below will be cross-checked and validated by incorporating existing forestry/silviculture, fuels, fire, and natural resource information. Additional forestry plots to collect more tree and vegetation data for underrepresented habitat types and with pre-/post-fire monitoring of areas that have been treated with prescribed cultural burns inform what are characteristics of more desired conditions. Data to determine actual species or habitats of interest come from the forestry/inventory plots, and vegetation information for portions of the Yurok ancestral territory on the Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests (Lake: USFS-PSW data steward) and from the Yurok Reservation with existing BIA forestry plots/inventory, tribal climate vegetation surveys, and other applicable landscape to site information. The use of this forestry/vegetation data provides across scale understanding and opportunity to assess vulnerability to forest habitats/types, species as valued resources, and the potential resilience capacity for forest based on species life-history adaptive traits (e.g. drought-tolerant/fire adapted). The approach will evaluate the potential outcomes of treatment prescriptions and landscape restoration strategies for increasing resilience of forests at different scales and achieving other management objectives. The data will also allow evaluation of how treatments have effected resilience to pest and disease considerations, such as wood-boring insects, black stain root disease, and sudden oak death. An important aspect in working with tribal/rural communities is how they evaluate and consider the resilience or vulnerability of forest habitats having different treatment conditions. This approach also links back to implementing national federal forestry and wildland fire policies at local scales. Second and third Year funding support would include additional forestry plot and fire effects unit surveys, modeling, treatment evaluation, and completion of data analysis to test hypotheses identified through the initial year of the study. |
|---|
|
|---|
